


Living In The Shadows

by valkyrie_fangirl



Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: F/M, KidFlash - Freeform, Miss Martian - Freeform, Nightwing - Freeform, Red Hood - Freeform, Robin - Freeform, Violent, Young Justice - Freeform, main character is my own creation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-07
Updated: 2018-03-07
Packaged: 2019-03-28 05:01:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13896819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/valkyrie_fangirl/pseuds/valkyrie_fangirl
Summary: A story of a girl with too many secrets and not enough storage in her mind for her regrets. The young justice team offered shelter and she accepted now officially part of the team. This is her story.





	Living In The Shadows

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first dedicated fan fiction so please don't judge too harsh. I write when I can so updates will be inconsistent. Any constructive criticism would be wonderful and don't forget to leave kudos. Enjoy.
> 
> Disclaimer:I do not own any of the characters except for the main.

The cave was empty. Every footstep I made echoed and made a far louder sound than I liked. Everyone was out enjoying normalcy-but that just wasn’t me-so I decided to stay. Just starting to regret my choice. The library was limited, had already baked enough goods to last Wally an hour and my phone was starting to bore me, there was nothing on TV and I’d done all the laundry and dishes. The place was spotless. Sighing I flop back on the couch. Gods I was bored. I would do anything for a mission. I bolt upright. I sprint to the training room. The pristine room was unbelievably perfect to get rid of the boredom. So I began working out to pass the time. Push ups, weights, strength building. 

Hours later the others still weren’t back and I was left staring at the ceiling. Out of the corner of my eye I saw speakers. Memories flooded and I sat up contemplating if what I was about to do was a good idea.  
What the hell.

I gather what I need and put on special shoes. I take a deep breath.  
“I’m going to regret this.” I mutter and press play for the music. I walk to the middle of the empty space as the music started slow.  
The vibrations of the violins ran through my veins and the muscle memory of my body begins to dance.  
The technicality of the traditional ballet dance brushed my mind with a shot of adrenaline. As the tempo rose my moves quickened with precise ease. The freedom of the leaps mixed with the contrast of the deep arches of the body. The strain of the flexibility and muscles was exhilarating. The pirouettes being performed with precision and every step turned out activated my adductors. The coordination of the fast moving feet and the slow careful arms. All to soon the music ended and so did I. The final pose was held as I heard a phantom clapping of an audience that existed years ago. An audience that was dead, buried under the theatre that stood only in my memory.  
“When did you learn to do that?” A voice whispered. I whirled around eyes widening in fear. Standing at the doorway was Red Hood without his helmet on! I stuttered not knowing what to say. I hadn’t let anyone know of my dancing for a very long time.  
“I didn’t see you there I thought everyone wasn’t going to be back for another few hours.” I said fiddling with the ribbons on my pointe shoes realising I was so focused on my own activities that I didn’t hear the zeta-tube activate.  
“They’re not. I just got bored of the bat and Robins bickering.” He said walking in a few steps with his head tilted to the side in curiosity. Assessing. I sighed in relief and nodded. I swallowed heavily and retrieved my music device.  
“Well I’m going to hang in my room while I wait for the others.” I muttered walking around him barefoot feeling-naked without my hoodie on-clutching my shoes and phone to my chest, head down.  
“You didn’t answer my first question. When did you learn to do that?” Red Hood said. I stopped and sighed.  
“In the few years that I wish I would forget.” I admit and continue to my room with his deep eyes boring into my skin. 

I sped walked to my room and lock the door firmly. Leaning against it letting a shaky breath out. He saw me. The big bad Red Hood saw me dance which I haven’t done in years and didn’t scowl. My hands wouldn’t stop shaking. Another deep breath and my nerves had calmed. I rocked off the door and put the shoes back into its locked box. Throwing a hoodie on I curled up on the floor back against the bed facing the door. I recited names. All the names lost in the ruins of my mind. Over and over.  
Hours passed and the team started to arrive again. They walked down the corridor, shadows of their feet shoving themselves through the crack of my door. Cramped from the position I was in I shifted in the darkness of my room and lit a candle. I paced aimlessly in the small space.  
“Gods be damned get yourself together. So he saw you dance, so what?.” I spoke to myself. “But I did promise to never do it again. What is wrong with me I can’t even keep a promise to myself.” I continue flailing my arms. A knock at the door startles me and I scold myself for being so jumpy. I wipe my face of any emotion and open the door.  
“I’m not hungry Wal…” I started before releasing that the person in front of me wasn’t the speedster.  
“Come with me.” Red Hood said before walking down the hallway. Befuddled I stuttered. What on earth? Twice in one day? The dude is rarely mentioned let alone seen.  
“Coming Nyx?” He called still walking. Snapping out of my trance I raced after him. We walked in silence to the zeta-tube and went through coming out an alley in what looks like Blüdhaven.  
“Where are we going?” I finally asked. He looked at me through his red helmet and went back to looking straight ahead. Feeling queasy I still followed feeling ridiculous realising that I was still barefoot. We kept walking in the shadows of the city till we reached a shipping container yard. Again the uneasy feeling strengthened and I returned my attention to Red Hood to express my worry but stopping when I saw he was facing me.  
I swallowed raising my defences just in case.  
“What are we doing?” I asked for the millionth time that night. Again he didn’t answer.  
“For gods sake answer me, this is getting ridiculous.” I cried thankful that I hadn’t eaten dinner. He took a predator step towards me and like a cowardly lamb I stepped back.  
“Red Hood this isn’t funny. I want to go back to Mt Justice. Please I want to go home.” Raising more barriers of shadow. He raised a gun. I gasped as he fired once at me. I cried out covering my head ducking behind my shadows. He fired again and again getting closer and closer while the shadows protecting me took the brunt of it and shrieked in my head. I pushed the shadows towards him to knock him over while I ran. I ran through the yard weaving through he boxes and leaping over when needed until an arrow lands at my feet and blows up sending me sailing into a crate. Groaning I stand up only to see Red Hood and Artemis striding towards me. Thinking out of instinct I push them back with another set of shadows before running again.  
“Nyx to Team, requesting backup at shipping yard in Blüdhaven.” I frantically say through gasps.  
Arrows and bullets whizzed overhead footsteps gaining behind me. Knowing I’ll never outrun them I start praying and sending shadows behind me in an attempt to fend them off. 

Near sobbing at this point you wished for someone to show up anyone.  
I should’ve known to be careful what I wish for.  
The telltale sign the bioship had arrived left me in a pool of relief.  
I stood under it backing up against a crate as Red Hood and Artemis once again stood before me eyeing me like a meal. The exact moment Robin dropped down was the happiest moment of my life… until he turned to me as well. Seconds later the rest of the team arrived at the scene only to corner me. Shaking I raised my fists and steeled myself for the inevitable. They pounced. Arrows, bullets, spouts of water, crates, bits of earth and punches were launched at me. Doing all I could do at that moment I defended, deflecting blows swerving out of the way of flying debris twisting my body out of the way of snatching hands. But a girl could only do so much against the crowd. A bullet to the leg was what it took. My legs failed me as a bullet ripped through my thigh and I collapsed with a cry. Wasting no time they pulled me by my hair away from the dented crate to the centre of the cleared area. They surrounded me and I put up one last shadow barrier over me in a frail attempt. Useless. With a single blow from Conner the shield was destroyed and they began to abuse my body. Ribs snapped, the pain in my leg grew, my head slammed into the concrete and my vision began to blur. 

I didn’t need to be a seer to know how this would end for me. The blows started to feel less painful and my head was spinning.  
I sat up.  
I looked as well as I could through tears at my former team members. I put my head to the sky and saw the faces of the theatre.  
With each punch I said a name.  
With every kick I said a name.  
With every bullet, very shock, every arrow, every rock, every insult aimed at me I said a name.  
And with a final bullet through my throat I said my own in a long lost language.

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

I jerked up taking in irregular breaths.  
The surroundings around me were blurry and were spinning making me nauseous. Uncertainty, pain and anxiety creeped up and I lurched to the side throwing up bile, water and blood. Swearing accompanied, followed by hands pushing me back down. With too much adrenaline I wrestled them off and leaped away from the people surrounding me. I backed up to a corner and shot shadows blindly at the coloured blobs. Shouting and pleading ensued. With all the pressure I curled into myself and called upon power I hadn’t known existed. The strength flooded me and I straightened, feeling my feet leave the ground. Earth around me shook and crumbled. The power of the shadows curled around me and lifted my hair swinging it wildly around me. My light deprived skin turned dark and runes of old lit up. Mouths moved and gestures thrown by the people surrounding me started to back away. I was about to attack when one person stopped me. A man with tousled black hair with just a wisp of white at the front stood before me. His mouth remained closed and he just stared at me without fear, without judgement. Familiarity engulfed me. The powerful emotions I was harbouring calmed melting the power away. I lowered to the floor and walked towards him runes on my flesh flickering. As I neared I heard a song. He was humming a song. A long ago song not meant to be remembered. My skin grew lighter as the runes flickered out and I was grounded once again. 

I blinked and realisation came back. Red Hood stood in front of me and the rest of the team was behind him slowly coming towards me. Shocked I looked around to find damage to the main briefing area of Mt Justice. My teammates weren’t looking to good either, a layer of dust coating them. The memories of the shipment yard came crashing back and I backed away from the team. They looked hurt and some looked angry. I shook my head in disbelief. I hurt them they hurt me. I needed to get out. I turned and ran but not far as arms circled me and pulled me tight against a broad chest. I thrashed and shrieked and swore. They were going to hurt me again I knew it. I fought against the arms as I was dragged back to the briefing room. Sobbing my strength left leaving me a the mercy of the team. I was put on my assailants lap and was held with one arm as the other stroked the hair of my damp face. The action calmed me unwillingly leaving me panting from exertion and mental pain. I fell limp in the arms and calming words flittered through my ears. 

“What the hell?” I spat. My mind whirring at light-speed. First the unforgiving violence then this? It was too much.  
“What the hell happened?” I repeated looking at the stricken faces of my teammates. M’gann started but was interrupted by Nightwing.  
“Your fear test went extreme.” He started. Fear test?  
“What do you mean fear test?” I seethed. If this was some prank I was so out of there no matter what bones I had to break. He sighed.  
“It was a simulation. To see what would happen when put through your worst fears. We were all mind-linked up to see and the power of your fear was too much and… we’re sorry. It went wrong. As soon as a brief description of your fear is outlined its meant to end but it went wrong we don’t know how but it did.” Nightwing said. I couldn’t believe it a simulation.  
“Did I know about it going in?” I whispered staring at the floor. A pause.  
“No.”. That was the end of my resistance they went into my head without my permission and saw things that are beyond private. I muttered something about being sick when suddenly I was throwing up again. The owner of the arm swore and put a bucket in front of me. My hair was combed back as the contents of my stomach emptied. I sat back when done and pried the arm I learned was Red Hood’s off me. I slowly stood up and with one last look at the distressed team I walked towards my room.  
I got as far as the doorway before I stumbled and a careful arm was hoisting me up. Too weak to argue he carried me to my dark room and sat me on the bed. Red Hood went into my closet and picked out leggings and a hoodie. Modesty be damned he stripped me of my ruined clothes and redressed me.  
Afraid of my own shadow at that moment I stopped Red Hood from leaving.  
“Please stay” I whispered staring at his shadow in the doorway. He only nodded before closing the door with a click and peeling off his helmet, mask and weapons. As gently as possible he climbed into the bead and pulled me flush against his chest arm curling around me in protection.  
“I don’t know your name. I mean your real one not Nyx.” He said.  
“Willow.” I said closing my eyes, “and yours?”.  
“Jason”.


End file.
